Things are going well on the road, Teheran is back with the O’s, and Bradish is better than ever.
Good morning, Birdland!
It doesn’t get much better than a 10-1 win against a division rival. Corbin Burnes was terrific as always, the entire lineup was clicking (including Ryan Mountcastle and his Canadian powers), and rookie Connor Norby collected his first hit and home run all in one fell swoop.
José Berríos is on the mound for Toronto today, which could be a taller task than the other hurlers faced so far in the series. But the Orioles are able to counter with Albert Suárez, who has been a sudden revelation as a 34-year-old picked up this past offseason.
The Orioles have hit seven home runs in the first two games of this series. That has them up to 91 long balls on the year, second in the league to the Yankees (92), who have played three more games on the season than the O’s.
That three-game gap is also relevant to the AL East standings. The Orioles trail the Yankees by 2.5 games in the division. But if they win all three of those games in hand, that lead would be whittled down to just one game. The race for the East feels like something that could come down to the wire as both clubs feature deep, powerful offenses, and superb pitching staffs.
But the O’s and Yanks don’t face off again until June 18, when the Birds go on the road to Yankee Stadium. For now, the mission ahead is a sweep of the Blue Jays. They can get one step closer to that with a win today.
Links
Orioles, Julio Teheran Agree To Minor League Deal | MLB Trade Rumors?
He’s back! Teheran spent the spring the Orioles, but after not making the Opening Day roster he opted out of his deal and spent time in both the Mets and Cubs organization. Now, he returns to the O’s as minor league depth that could come in handy during this current stretch without an off day.
Three Orioles questions born from Monday’s news | Roch Kubatko
Roch touches on how long Connor Norby will stick around. His inability to play shortstop or third base really hurts any sort of argument for him over Ramón Urías. However, if Norby is hitting well enough it won’t matter all that much because Jordan Westburg and Jorge Mateo are around to do the things that Norby can’t.
Orioles starter Kyle Bradish changed his pitch usage. He might be even better because of it. | The Baltimore Sun
Bradish may be the finest example of the Orioles’ player development staff flexing their muscle. The righty came from the Angels organization with the outlook of a back-end rotation piece or a middle-inning reliever. Now, he is arguably the best pitcher on an O’s roster that isn’t exactly hurting for top-tier talent in the rotation. It’s an incredible achievement.
Remembering the Orioles’ transformational 2019 draft | The Baltimore Banner
The MLB Draft has always seemed like the biggest dice roll of all major sports. It’s rather common to see first-round picks turn into organizational fodder rather than stars. But the Orioles had no such issue back in 2019, arguably the most consequential night for the organization this century.
MLB Power Rankings: A new No. 1 arrives; our picks for first-time All-Star noms | The Athletic
The folks over at The Athletic think that Gunnar Henderson might make his first all-star team this year. What a take!
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
- Robinson Chirinos turns 40 today. He served as the O’s backup catcher in 2022.
- Russ Ortiz celebrates his 50th. His Orioles stint lasted just 20 games, mostly out of the bullpen, in 2006.
This day in O’s history
2008 – The amateur draft takes place, and three of the first four first picks would eventually become Orioles legends: Tim Beckham first overall by the Rays, Pedro Alvarez goes second to the Pirates, and then Brian Matusz is selected by the Orioles fourth overall.